The Polar Bear Biathlon Club hosted two events at McCauley Mountain over the weekend of June 21 and 22nd. The Saturday event was a Junior Development Clinic directed by Art Stegen, a former U.S. Biathlon coach and athlete and Sean Halligan, a National Guard biathlete who competed under Coach Stegen, who instructed seven athletes on the techniques of shooting and racing.
Polar Bear Biathlon Club racers, from left, Tyler Rudolph, Megan Greene, Connor Hrynuk, and Henry Uzdavinis. Photos by Michele deCamp
Representing the Polar Bear Ski Club were Henry Uzdavinis, Megan Greene, Tyler Rudolph and Connor Hrynuk.
One of the other participants was from south of Albany and the other was from the Saratoga area.
The day ended with several short races involving shooting and physical activity.
Megan Greene
This was the second of two clinics offered this spring. Uzdavinis and Rudolph attended the first clinic in Day, NY at the Saratoga Biathlon Range under the direction of U.S. Biathlon Development Coach Algis Shalna.
On Sunday, the club hosted a Modified Pursuit Biathlon Race at McCauley.
There were nine racers, all either day members or regular members of the Polar Bear Biathlon Club.
Henry Uzdavinis
In the Boy/Girl Class, Uzdavinis took first place and Tyler Rudolph took second place for the boys and Megan Greene took first for the girls.
Lesley Leach took first in the Master Woman’s class and Janine Phaneuf took second place in the Novice Woman’s class.
Hrynuk of Boonville, a first-year member of the biathlon club, took first place in the Youth Male Class.
Jochen Hoppert, a club member from the Western New York area, took first place in the Open Men’s Class.
Two novice racers from the Oriskany Falls area joined the club for one day to for the opportunity to participate in the race.
Both won their class in their first biathlon race.
A modified pursuit race is a race that has all competitors racing five laps around a .62 mile (1 km) course.
After the first four laps they shoot at the range, twice prone (laying down) and twice standing.
The novice racers and the Boy/Girl Class shoot four times prone at the larger targets.
The Competition Class shoots twice prone at small targets and twice standing at large targets. All athletes must run one penalty lap for each target missed.
The Polar Bear Ski Club will host a sprint race on Sunday, August 24 at Adirondack Woodcraft Camps. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m.with the race beginning at 10 a.m. Beginners are welcome.
A safety clinic will be given prior to the start of the race. Come out and watch our local talent preparing for their winter race schedule.
